diet

I have to recommend the recipes in The Curry Bible by Jacki Passmore; we’ve tried a few so far and they’ve been excellent quality and variety-wise. The base spice mix for this curry (from pg. 90) is my favorite so far. There are so many curries, and they go beyond the pre-bottled store curries for sure. We have made this recipe several times, and it is a pleasant mix of hot and spice. It could very easily be made hotter with more/other peppers. We’ve modified the original to be less hot to work for both of our palates. (I’m more of a heat fan.) The original calls for chicken as the main ingredient, but I wanted to give lentils a try as an alternate option; it’s also a little more affordable. The lentils also hold up well in the curry, even as they are already cooked. (I was a little nervous it would be mush.)

Make the lentils in a pot according to package directions. (Ours were at medium heat – simmer/boil for about 20 minutes, and they were tender.) While lentils are cooking, prepare the curry. (When the lentils are done, remove from heat and drain.) Roast the coriander seeds in a pan on medium-low heat for a minute or two and remove from heat. Put the deseeded peppers, roasted coriander, peppercorns, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and salt in a blender and blend to a powder. Add coconut and blend until fine.

Curry powder mix

Heat the oil in a pan. Chop the onion and add to the pan. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring as needed. (The onions don’t need to be completely soft.)

Crush the garlic- (a garlic press works well) and add to pan with the onion. Add the ginger. Don’t let the garlic cook too long- you don’t want it to burn. Add the star anise and tomato paste.

Stir in the cooked lentils slowly. Add the water- you don’t want soup, but you don’t want it to burn. Keep stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

I chopped and added the tomatoes and chili pepper at this point (you may want to wear gloves with the pepper), but depending on how cooked you would like them, you could add them earlier.

Almost done! I cooked the mixture with the added vegetables for about 5 minutes more, so they were not cooked completely through. Keep stirring as needed, and add more water if needed so that the lentils do not stick to the pan. Season with additional salt to taste, and top with a splash of lemon juice.

Enjoy!!! Remember to have fun and experiment with curry!

Also, here are some quick general spice equivalents, if you have whole spices:

We might have lost some Saturday morning cartoons, but one show not to miss on Saturday mornings is Recipe Rehab on CBS. Above is the promotional clip from today’s Chicken Pot Pie episode. The basic synopsis revolves around transforming an enjoyed but unhealthy family recipe (high amounts of fat, salt, using prepackaged goods, preservatives, and/or lack of fresh vegetables, etc.) The half hour show pits two chefs against each other in a friendly, yet competitive game to create an improved version of the dish utilizing the essence of the original. The new meals are prepared by the family, and rated in several categories like ease of preparation and taste. A nutritionist also provides one of the scores. Often, the chefs will re-imagine the presentation of the dish along with finding ways to impart flavor through additional ingredients, spices, and fresh vegetables. If the show is not on your station, or you can’t otherwise watch, episodes and recipes are available online. It’s difficult to not get hungry much too early in the morning, even after breakfast! I’d highly recommend checking it out as a way to think about eating healthy. Whether you are cooking for yourself or for your family, it exhibits some excellent ideas about swapping ingredients for the better and encouraging all members of the family to participate in meal making and cooking.

We’ve noticed several benefits- not the least of which is some weight loss (my usually accumulated semi-substantial winter pounds have vanished this long winter). Granted, we had been eating somewhat healthier/with more vegetables for a long while before this. Occasionally, our pre-meal-planning conversations would go something like this around dinnertime, though…

Me: “What are you hungry for?”

Her: “I don’t know. You?”

Me: “I could go for anything.”

(Cue trip to selected nearby fast food restaurant.) And… scene.

Now repeat this on a somewhat-weekly basis, and we’ve added weekly fast food runs to our meal planning. The aforementioned UW Healtharticle refers unspecifically to a survey about increased fast food consumption. While we weren’t at the 5 meals threshold they reference, the fast food adds up (but that’s not to imply that I have completely sworn off fast food, though…)

We have found that we don’t need to plan beyond the upcoming week, but planning, cooking a meal, and eating associated leftovers has helped our budget also. We are not paying extra (with calories or $) for convenience and are still saving time. Freezable foods are simple to store in our chest freezer for later, as well. Give it a try- what do you have to lose?